The Grand Finale of Human History #6



The Grand Finale of Human History #6

“Staying True in a Tough Setting”

Revelation 2:12-17

Some places are harder than others to live and minister for Christ. I remember meeting a minister who pastored a church in Utah. The county where he lived was 95% Mormon. That’s a tough place to try to build up a Christian church! At present Restoration House Ministries are planting churches in New England, which has become a mission field within our own borders, with only five percent claiming any belief in God. Others are living for Jesus in Muslim-dominated lands, where their faith could mean the loss of business, possessions, or their lives.

As we continue our study of Revelation, we have come to a first-century church located in a difficult place to live for Christ. In the seven letters dictated by Jesus through John, the next church addressed was in Pergamum, a city about 55 miles north of Smyrna. Their situation was, in some ways, like Christians living in a Muslim-controlled country today. The challenge for them was staying true in a tough setting.

The Hostile Conditions of the City

First we see the hostile conditions of the city. Built several miles inland from the ancient location of the historical city of Troy, Pergamum became one of the great cities of Asia Minor.[1] Pergamum, while not as important a commercial city as Ephesus and Smyrna, was nevertheless more important as a political and religious center.[2] It became the capital of the independent kingdom of the Attalids after Alexander the Great. Its last king willed it to Rome in 133 bc, when it became the capital of the Roman province of Asia.[3] One author writes, “If Ephesus was the ‘New York City’ of Asia, Pergamum was its ‘Washington, D.C.’”[4]

About 15 miles inland, it did not have as good a trading position as either Ephesus or Smyrna. But, apart from its administrative importance, it was significant for its great library.[5] Tradition records that in Pergamum, King Eumenes II (197–159 b.c.) planned to build a library to rival the one in Alexandria. Ptolemy Epiphanes of Egypt (205–182 b.c.) took action to stop this venture by cutting off the export of papyrus—writing material made from reeds of the Nile. It was this embargo that forced Eumenes to develop vellum or parchment (pergamēnē, “from Pergamum”), a writing material made from animal skins.[6] Pergamum became world-renowned in making this fine writing material from sheep or goat skin, highly polished with pumice stone and slit into sheets.[7] Its 200,000 volumes ranked as the second largest library in the world—exceeded only by the library at Alexandria, Egypt.[8]

Pergamum was also the residence of the proconsul, who had the authority to put people to death by the sword. Yet Jesus identifies Himself in verse 12 as “him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.” Here Jesus reminds the Christians at Pergamum that He was the ultimate authority, even beyond the Roman empire. Perhaps He was implying, repeating the words of Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Jesus opens the letter in verse 13,

I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

Jesus says, “I know where you live.” The verb live is the translation of the Greek term katoikeis, meaning that the Christians were not simply passing through Pergamum. It was their home and they had to face their difficulties to the end.[9] Even though the city was characterized as the seat of Satan’s authority, the church didn’t try to escape the extreme pressures. Instead, the congregation chose to endure the hardship of their environment.

Let me illustrate this with a modern analogy. While everybody else was moving to the suburbs, the Christians in Pergamum were committed to remaining in the inner city. They decided to stay put in the midst of the noise, the violence, the corruption, and the temptations, to shine as a light in the darkness of the city. In fact, as we will see in the case of Antipas, things had gotten bad. The remnant of the church refused to deny Jesus, even in the face of such turmoil. What resolute strength! When it would have been expedient to stop claiming the name “Christian,” the faithful Pergamum believers held onto Christ’s name. When compromising the truth could have saved them from suffering and death, the faithful Christians of Pergamum refused to deny even one article of the faith.[10] Jesus commended them for their doctrinal purity and their refusal to cave into outside pressure.

Twice He identifies Pergamum as the place “where Satan has his throne” and “where Satan lives.” Scholars are divided as to what Jesus had in mind here. Some think this designation refers to the temple of Asclepius, the god of healing, since the symbol of Asclepius was a serpent, and Satan is often identified with a serpent or snake. According to the classical historians Tacitus and Xenophon, the worship of Asclepius had its headquarters in Pergamum, which thus became “the Lourdes of the Province of Asia, and the seat of a famous school of medicine.”[11] Others point to the gigantic temple of Zeus at Pergamos, set on a high hill with its altar towering 800 feet over the plain.[12] Most, however, agree that John used the phrase because Pergamum was the center of the imperial cult with its worship of the emperor, which was becoming the greatest danger to the Christian church.[13]

Antipas is unknown outside of this reference, but John Stott reconstructs the scene:

Known to be a Christian, he was summoned before the proconsul of the province, whose official residence is thought by some to have been in Pergamum. This civil leader was also chief priest of the imperial cult. A bust of the emperor was set on a plinth [pedestal] and sacred fire burned before it. To sacrifice to the genius of Rome and the divine emperor was a simple matter. All he had to do was to sprinkle a few grains of incense on the fire and say, “Caesar is Lord.” Then he would be released. But how could he deny Christ’s name and faith? Had he not at his baptism been proud to affirm his faith, in the simple words “Jesus is Lord”? …Such thoughts as these must have invaded the mind of Antipas as his Christian faith was exposed to its supreme test. Whether he wavered or not, we cannot say. All we know is that he was given grace to stand firm, to hold fast Christ’s name and not to deny Christ’s faith…. He could not bring himself to give to Caesar the title that belonged to Christ. Christ was his Lord, not Caesar, even if it meant the whip, the sword, the stake, or the lions. So Antipas joined “the noble army of martyrs.” He was a faithful witness, and sealed his testimony with his blood.[14]

Legend states that Antipas was roasted alive in a hollowed-out bronze bull, but nothing more certain than that can be known.[15] Jesus uses his example, though, as a challenge for the other Pergamese Christians not to abandon their faith in the face of persecution. He called Antipas by the same name He calls Himself in verse 14—“faithful witness” (the Greek term from which we get “martyr”).[16] Against pressure and persecution, the church at Pergamum stayed true in a tough setting.

The Harmful Compromise of the Church

Yet not all was well in Pergamum. Jesus reveals the harmful compromise of the church in verses 14-15,

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Though a faithful remnant had stayed true to Christ, several matters remained unresolved, tarnishing the image of the faithful. The church had taken a route of compromise on key issues, giving both Balaamites and Nicolaitans safe haven.[17]

“The teaching of Balaam” echoes the story of Balaam, a “prophet for hire”[18] recorded in Numbers 22-25. Balak, king of Moab, realized that he could not hope to stop the Israelites on the battlefield, so he hired Balaam to pronounce a curse on the Israelite nation. Balaam may be best known for his talking donkey who could see an angel of the Lord about to kill Balaam while the prophet could not see the supernatural being with a drawn sword. God spared Balaam’s life, but warned him to only speak the words given to him. So Balaam went and blessed Israel on three separate occasions. King Balak was none too pleased with this development, and pressured Balaam to earn his pay. So Balaam suggested to Balak that he send young Moabites in to marry the young Israelites, knowing that such compromise would weaken the spiritual life of Israel. Balaam eventually lost his life in battle against the Israelites.

Jesus characterizes the teaching of Balaam as leading the Israelites to sin “by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.” These were among the very practices prohibited by the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15.[19] In a similar manner, the followers of Balaam in Pergamum encouraged idolatry and sexual immorality, fueled by selfishness, greed, and lust.[20]

“Likewise,” Jesus goes on in verse 15, “you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” We first heard of this group in the letter to the church at Ephesus. The question is whether these are two descriptions of the same group or two separate groups in Pergamum. Most agree that these groups were similar, if not identical.[21] The name “Nicolaitan” comes from the combination of two Greek words, nike, meaning “victory” (yes, the athletic shoe company got its name from this!) and laos, meaning “people.” The Nicolaitans were “people conquerors,” similar to what Balaam led his employer to do. Even the name Balaam in Hebrew can be translated as “he has consumed the people,” so perhaps that is the connection between the two.[22] Stott comments, “What Balaam was to the old Israel, the Nicolaitans evidently were to the new.”[23] At any rate, these problems dealt with both false teaching and sinful practices.

It didn’t take long for the practice of compromise to become the pattern of compromise. Unlike Ephesus, who understood how to love the sinner and reject the sin, Pergamum chose to love the sinner and accept the sin! They compromised doctrine and morality for the sake of peace and unity in the church. They took Christian love and grace to an extreme. Jesus’ sword of rebuke was quick and decisive—“Enough! Repent!” Notice also that the issue wasn’t simply that such false teachers sprang up in their midst; Christ directed His rebuke toward the faithful believers in the church who failed to take action against the false teaching.[24]

Jesus criticized Pergamum for surrendering to the pressures to compromise with their doctrine and their practice. They retained the name Christian on the outside, but they were messing around with sin on the inside. This can happen to churches or individual Christians today. We may stand firm against the pressures of the world, but what about the inside? Do we allow compromise to drag us down?

This is particularly tempting when we find ourselves in a tough setting. As a church, people are hard to come by, so are we willing to overlook questionable teachings and practices to not offend anyone? Do we try to remain “politically correct” to the point of compromise? I think we see this happening around us as more and more churches tolerate what the Bible clearly condemns as sin, just to appear “tolerant.” As individuals, do we look good publicly but allow sinful thoughts and habits to rule us privately? This harmful compromise weakens our faith and endangers our testimony for Jesus.

The Heavenly Challenge of the Christ

This leads us to the heavenly challenge of the Christ in verse 16, “Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” Chuck Swindoll writes,

Like a cancerous tumor that penetrates and spreads through healthy flesh, compromise allows the sinews of falsehood to invade the truth, ultimately destroying it. Only a sharp scalpel in the hands of a precise surgeon can remove the cancer without killing the patient. Likewise, Christ, the Great Physician, is qualified not only to diagnose, but also to successfully treat the insidious disease of compromise.[25]

The remedy is repentance a change of thinking that leads to a change in behavior that will eventually lead to a change in feeling. Too often we want to go by our feelings, and that usually leads us into trouble. Remember in Romans 12:2—we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. We need to change what we think, because what I believe will dictate how I behave. In the case of the church at Pergamum, they need to change their thinking about the false teaching and practices of the Balaamites and the Nicolaitans, to do whatever was necessary to remove those false teachings from their midst. The compromise had to end.

Christ’s call for repentance included a warning for those who refused. “Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” Notice that Jesus did not say, “I will fight you with the sword of my mouth,” but rather, “I will fight them.” The judgment would fall on the sinners, but if the church embraced them, they would feel the pain as well. Antipas had felt the sword of Rome, but the church at Pergamos would feel the sword of Christ—the Word—if they did not repent. This is not a reference to future judgment at our Lord’s return but to a present judgment that comes to a church when it is disobedient to the Word of God.[26]

As in every letter, Jesus makes a promise to those who “overcome.” In verse 17 He says, “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” How these items are to be interpreted is not entirely clear. In the Old Testament the manna was the sustenance provided by God from above for his people as they journeyed through the wilderness, described as “bread from heaven” in Exodus 16:4. A portion of wilderness manna was preserved in a golden urn in the tabernacle sanctuary, and this could be regarded as “hidden manna,” symbolizing the true Bread of Life that was yet to be given. The promise symbolized by the manna was fulfilled in Christ, as He Himself taught, declaring that he was the true Bread from heaven, the Bread of God that gives life to the world.[27] We read His words in John 6:48-51, “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Perhaps this “hidden manna” was a heavenly alternative to the “food sacrificed to idols” that the Balaamites promoted.

Along the same lines, the “white stone” may have to do with what the Nicolaitans taught—that they had special privileges that other Christians did not have—or it may have been cultural. No less than seven interpretations for the white stone are listed by Morris, none of which in his mind “carry complete conviction.”[28] The best explanation I have heard is that the white stone represented a ticket (in our culture) that allowed the bearer entrance into an event. So that such “tickets” would not be forged, the bearer’s name was inscribed on it, authenticating the stone. The Nicolaitans (an early form of Gnosticism) taught that they had special knowledge only given to them as an elite group of believers—and that knowledge allowed them to act as they pleased. Jesus promised the true believers access into the heavenly kingdom, not through some special impartation of knowledge but with, as the old hymn puts it, “a new name written down in glory.”

At any rate, the hidden manna and the white stone were precious rewards for those believers who do not surrender to pressures without (to publicly deny Christ) or to pressures within (to personally sin against Christ). They were the result of staying true in a tough setting.

As we wrap up this message, I want to share some truths that will help us to overcome a culture of compromise. Our society demands equal rights for “alternative lifestyles,” redefines and rejects traditional values, and winks at sin; thus, Christ’s attitude toward compromise should cause us to sit up and take notice. Here are four practical principles about spiritual compromise as we consider our own attitudes, not only toward the evil that surrounds us, but also the evil that penetrates the church.

First, compromise never occurs quickly. Ships accidentally drift off course—but it’s usually not because someone suddenly pulls the wheel to starboard or port. Most often, invisible waves, currents, and winds gradually move the ship in the wrong direction. Before the ship’s crew knows it, the jagged rocks of the shoreline are ripping holes in its hull. Hebrews 2:1 presents a clear cure for the subtle drift: “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.” The need for shoring up the truth has never been greater. We need to shed ourselves of the “been there, done that” attitude when it comes to the simple truth of Scripture and the Christian faith. Like ancient sailors fixed on the northern star, we must keep our eyes on the unmoving norms of the Christian faith.

Second, compromise always lowers the original standard. Compromise often begins when we try to replace God’s perfect standard of truth with our own manmade rules and regulations. Throughout history we’ve seen churches and denominations compromise on issues ranging from the inspiration of God’s Word to the deity of Christ for the sake of keeping their members or gaining larger numbers. Such compromises are never worth it! Hebrews 10:23 teaches just the opposite: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Commit yourself neither to adding your own “truths” nor to subtracting from God’s truth. Maintain the one standard of truth and godliness.

Third, compromise is seldom offensive. People who compromise regularly tend to be great politicians and excellent people-pleasers. Too often I see Christians walk on eggshells when they’re around sensitive believers, or they bend over backward to avoid offending others with the Christian faith. Yes, we should share the truth in love (Eph. 4:15), but we should still share the truth. John 15:19 should clear up the matter for us: “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” Don’t expect to be loved by the general public when you refuse to compromise.

Finally, compromise is often the first step toward total disobedience. David’s sins of adultery and murder did not happen because of one weak moment. Much earlier, he had begun to compromise his responsibilities as a king, compromise what he allowed himself to see, and compromise how he used his servants. These small steps, which in themselves didn’t appear important, led to a total collapse of his integrity. What small areas of compromises are you currently involved in? They can lead to serious corruption…and serious consequences.

In light of these four principles, we need to ask ourselves, “What is keeping us today from heeding Christ’s warning and turning from compromise?”[29] Our society is turning more and more hostile to Christianity. Someday soon we may find ourselves in a similar situation as the church at Pergamum, living “where Satan dwells.” When Christ returns, will He find faith on the earth? Will our Lord find us standing true in a tough setting?

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[1]Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, ©2011).

[2]George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of St John (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, ©1972).

[3]Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, ©1987).

[4]Steve Gregg, Revelation, Four Views: A Parallel Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, ©1997).

[5]Morris, op. cit.

[6]Alan F. Johnson, “Revelation,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, ©1981).

[7]Merrill F. Unger, Archaeology and the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, ©1962).

[8]Gregg, op. cit.

[9]Morris, op. cit.

[10]Swindoll, op. cit.

[11]R. H. Charles, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Revelation of St John, vol. 1, International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: T&T Clark International, ©1920); also E. M. Blaiklock, “Pergamum,” in E. M. Blaiklock and R. K. Harrison, eds., The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, ©1983).

[12]Swindoll, op. cit.

[13]George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of St John (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, ©1972); Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Victorious (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, ©1985); and Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., ed., The NIV Archaeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids. MI: Zondervan, ©2005),

[14]Stott, op. cit.

[15]Morris, op. cit.

[16]Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, The Book of the Revelation (Leicester, UK; Grand Rapids, MI: InterVarsity Press, Wm. B. Eerdmans, ©1990).

[17]Swindoll, op. cit.

[18]John F. MacArthur, Jr., Beware the Pretenders (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, ©1980).

[19]Hughes, op. cit.

[20]Swindoll, op. cit.

[21]Morris, op. cit.

[22]Charles, op. cit.

[23]Stott, op. cit.

[24]Swindoll, op. cit.

[25]Swindoll, op. cit.

[26]Wiersbe, op. cit.

[27]Hughes, op. cit.

[28]Morris, op. cit.

[29]Swindoll, op. cit.

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